Snapshot: We compare three highly capable motorcycles from the same segment but entirely different manufacturers.

Ducati reintroduced the Monster 821 in the Indian market a few days back since it was discontinued last year during the period when new emission norms were getting implemented. The new Monster 821 now has a fresh competition in the form of Kawasaki Z900 which is also a fairly new motorcycle in its segment along with the Triumph Street Triple S which comes as a replacement for the earlier Street Triple. All the three motorcycles sit in a segment which comprises of even more powerful machines compared to middleweight bikes such as Benelli TNT 600i and Kawasaki Z650, and this segment can be chosen as a perfect update for those graduating from the middle-weight category.

Engine and Specification –

The Ducati Monster 821 runs on an 821cc Testastretta 11 Degree L-Twin engine that churns out close to 108bhp of maximum power at 9,250 rpm and 86 Nm of peak torque at 7,750 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox and an optional bi-directional quick shifter can be made available with the same. The power on the bike is almost similar with the Triumph’s triple cylinder weapon, the Street Triple S. The bike packs a 765cc In-Line Three, liquid-cooled engine that delivers 110bhp at 11,250 rpm and 73 Nm peak torque at 10,421 rpm. And like the Monster, it also comes with a 6-speed transmission. The most powerful of the lot is the Japanese contender, the Z900. The bike comes with a 948cc 4-stroke In-Line Four, liquid-cooled engine that churns out close to 123 bhp of maximum power 9,500 rpm. It also comes mated to a 6-speed transmission but doesn’t offer optional bi-directional quick shifter, unlike its rivals.

Equipment and Features –

In terms of equipment and features, the Ducati Monster 821 comes loaded with the most number of features and safety aids. The bike offers a host of electronics such as various riding modes like Touring, Sport, and Urban, the bike also has various power modes and its Ducati Safety Pack consists of Bosch ABS 9.1 MP and Ducati Traction Control which is of various levels. Its standard equipment includes Ride-by-Wire, TFT color display and passenger cover seat, what can be optionally added is a bi-directional quick shifter, Ducati Multimedia System (DMS), Safety system and Ducati Data Analyzer (DDA). All these features make the Ducati Monster 821 the most feature loaded bike of the segment.

Coming over to Kawasaki Z900, the bike only offers standard Nissin ABS in terms of safety aid, while the Triumph Street Triple S has ABS and switchable traction control, Road and Rain riding modes, and an LCD instrument panel. The meter console on the Z900 has been updated as last seen on the Z800, the new one comes with a digital needle configuration that certainly looks intriguing. While the one seen on the Street Triple S is a semi-digital analog format copied from its older version.

Braking on the Kawasaki is handled by dual 300 mm front petal disc brakes at the front while at the back it is done by a single 250 mm rear petal disc brake. On the Ducati it is dual 320mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted monoblock Brembo M4-32 calipers at the front while 245mm two-piston calipers disc brakes take care of braking at the rear. The Triumph Street Triple S comes fitted with Nissin twin-piston sliding calipers at the front and Brembo single piston sliding calipers at the back.

Pricing –

The most affordable bike in the lot is the Kawasaki Z900 which is currently priced at Rs 7.68 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi), next comes the Triumph Street Triple S which retails at Rs 8.50 lakh (Ex-Showroom, Delhi), making it good Rs 88,000 costlier than its closest rival. While the Italian street naked, Monster 821 was recently launched at Rs 9.51 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi), making it the most costly proposition in the whole category.